Edwabd m



(No Model;)

B. M. SAMMIS.

THILL AND POLE COUPLING.

. .PatentedNov. 3, 1885.

be attached to the axle.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. SAMMIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THILL AND POLE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,779, dated November 3, 1885.

Application filed August 25, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, EDWARD M. SAMMIS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill and Pole Couplings for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to. those devices in which the axle-frame and thills or pole are jointed together.

My improvement consists, first, in securing the thill or pole frame to the axle-frame by a hingejoint adapted to fold downwardly in stead of upwardly from the horizontal position of the thills or pole.

My improvement consists, secondly, in providing the axle-frame with side bars having hooks or toes at their inner ends to bear on the axle and sustain the axle-frame in horizontal position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the parts with the hinge disconnected. Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts showing the thills attached in working position. Fig. 3 also shows the plan with the pole attached or in working position.

The thills and the poles are made in the same form as generally used when they are to A is the axle-frame, having side bars, a, connected together at their extreme outer ends by a cross-bar, B, and on their under sides are metal straps F, having pins E at their outer ends, eyes L at their inner portions, and hooks or toes M at their extreme inner ends. 0 are the thills, and D the pole, having at their extreme inner ends a crossbar, B, abutting against the crossbar of the axle-frame, and on their under sides being provided with metal straps G, having hooks H to engage the pins E. The eyes L on the axle-frame receive the pins of the clips by which the axle-frame is hinged to the axle, and the hooks M bear upon the axle in an upward direction to prevent the axle-frame from turning or dropping downwardly out of horizontal position.

The thill-frame or pole-frame is connected to the axle-frame by elevating the outer end of the latter to a sufficient height to permit of the hooks G being inserted in rear of the pins E. After these hooks are engaged with these pins, the axle-frame is allowed to drop to its normal position, the thill-frame or pole-frame being permitted to drop to an inclined position without liability of the parts becoming Serial No. 141,442. (No model.)

disconnected unless the latter was dropped to a vertical position.

It will be observed that when the device is in use the thill-frame or pole-frame is prevented from moving upwardly except with the axle frame, and that the axle frame cannot move downwardly when in use, being prevented by the toes M. As a furthermeans of safety, one or two screws, K, extend through the bar B into nuts in the bar'B; or a snaphook, N, may be employed to hold the two bars together to keep them from rattling.

By such a construction and arrangement of the parts it will be easily seen that the changing of the thills for the pole, or vice versa, may be easily and quickly made, and the differences in appearance are scarcely observ'able.

I therefore claim 1. The combination of an axle-frame and a thill-frame or pole-frame hinged thereto, folding downwardly therefrom, and adapted to be raised therewith for disconnecting the frames, substantially as set forth.

2. The axle-frame formed with side bars, a a, straps F F, and crossbar B, in combination with a thill-frame or pole-frame, each strap having a clip-pin hole, L, and a hook or toe, M, substantially as set forth.

3. The thillframe or pole-frame formed with a cross-bar, B, and straps G G, in combination with an axle-frame having straps F F, the said straps having hook-andpin connection and located beneath the frames, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of an axle-frame having a cross-bar at its outer end, a thill-frame or a pole'frame having a cross-bar abutting against the cross-bar of the axleframe, hookand-pin connection between the frames, and fastenings to hold the cross-bars together removably, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the axle-frame comprising cross-bar B, side bars, straps having clip-pin holes, hooks or toes, and hinge-pins, and thill frame or pole frame comprising cross -bar B, thills or pole having straps G and hooks H, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: EDWARD M. SAMMIS. [u s] EUGENE N. ELIOT, FRED. G. DIETERIOH. 

